Grilled Corn With Walnut Pesto

Ingredients:

Corn

  • Fresh corn on the cob, husked (8 cobs)
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Pesto

  • 1 large bunch fresh basil
  • 1/2 cup packed fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 cup California walnuts
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • Juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Assembly

  • 1/2 cup California walnuts

Preparation:

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Place walnuts (for pesto and assembly) on a baking sheet. Toast walnuts for 5 minutes. Remove from oven. Chop when cool.

Corn:

  1. Preheat grill to medium high heat. Clean and lightly oil your grill. Brush each corn on the cob with vegetable oil. Place on the grill.
  2. Grill corn for 10-15 minutes, rotating corn 2-3 times throughout cooking time. Remove corn from grill and place onto serving platter.

Pesto:

  1. While corn is cooking, prepare pesto. Add basil, parsley, 1 cup walnuts, parmesan cheese, lemon juice and zest, garlic, salt and pepper to a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped, about 30 seconds.
  2. Drizzle in olive oil and process until combined for 15-20 seconds. Spoon the pesto into a bowl.

Assembly:

  1. Smear pesto with a knife over the top side of each corn on the cob. Sprinkle corn with 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts. Serve.


California Walnuts Kanda Bhaji

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup onions, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup California walnuts, chopped roughly
  • 1 tablespoon crushed coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon green chilly chopped
  • 1/2 cup gram flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Oil for frying

Preparation:

  1. Slice the onions thinly and place in a mixing bowl.
  2. Massage the salt into the onions and allow them to rest aside.
  3. Add gram flour to the sweating onions.
  4. Add California walnuts, coriander seeds crushed and green chilies.
  5. Massage all of this together till the gram flour moistens and coats every onion slice.
  6. Heat oil for deep frying in pan.
  7. Make little clumps and fry on medium flame, fry till they turn crisp and golden brown.
  8. Remove the bhaji on absorbent kitchen napkins.
  9. Serve hot and crisp with fried green chilies.


No-Bake Vegan Walnut Chocolate Brownie

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup California Walnuts
  • 1 cup pitted Dates
  • 6 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • A pinch of salt
  • 1/4 cup roasted California Walnut chunks

Preparation:

  1. Chop the dates into smaller pieces so that it is easy to grind them. Alternatively, soak them in boiling water if they are extra firm.
  2. In a mixer grinder add one-cup California Walnuts, cocoa powder and a pinch of salt and give it a blitz until you get a powder like consistency.
  3. Add the dates and grind well to combine everything. Add warm water if it is getting difficult to grind the mixture.
  4. Transfer this crumbly dough into a mixing bowl and add chopped roasted California walnut chunks.
  5. Turn mixture on a parchment paper or a plate and spread it into a large square. Cut into pieces and garnish it with some California Walnuts. You can also make vegan chocolate ganache with coconut oil and cocoa powder and top it up on your brownies.
  6. Chill the brownies in the fridge and serve.


California Walnut Paneer Makhani

Ingredients:

  • 4 medium sized tomatoes
  • 1 onion
  • 4-5 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 ginger
  • 2-3 Kashmiri red chilli
  • 1/3 cup California Walnuts
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon jeera
  • 1 tablespoon ghee or olive oil
  • 1 green chilli
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/4 whisked curd
  • A pinch of garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon kasuri methi
  • 300g paneer
  • 1 teaspoon butter optional

Preparation:

  1. In a pan add the tomatoes and onion cut in quarters. Add garlic, ginger, Kashmiri red chillies, salt, coriander powder, red chilli powder, jeera and add some water (about 200ml) and cover and cook for about 7-8 minutes.
  2. Add California walnuts and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
  3. Cool down the mixture and grind it in a mixer grinder. You need a very fine paste.
  4. Now in the same pan add a very little amount of ghee, butter or olive oil. Add a slit green chilli and some ginger julienne. Sauté for half a minute and add the healthy makhani gravy by passing through a sieve.
  5. Now adjust the seasoning, add some honey or sugar and bring to a simmer.
  6. Whisk the curd very well & lower the flame and add the curd.
  7. Cook for 3-4 minutes and then add  paneer cubes.
  8. Finish with garam masala powder and freshly toasted kasuri methi. Add a teaspoon of butter to add some buttery flavour.
  9. Serve hot


Mango Walnut Sheera

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup ghee
  • 3/4 cup semolina
  • 1/4 cup wheat flour
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup Mango puree
  • 2 cups water (you can add more if the sheera is too dry)
  • 1/2 cup California Walnuts

Preparation:

  1. Chop California Walnuts and toast them into a pan, do not over do it.
  2. Puree the mangoes to get mango pulp if using fresh mangoes.
  3. Add ghee, semolina and wheat flour in a pan and start roasting on medium flame.
  4. Keep roasting and stirring until the colour starts to change and you get a nice aroma.
  5. Now add sugar and mango pulp and stir quickly. While mixing continuously add the water too.
  6. Keep stirring to avoid lumps and add the toasted California Walnuts.
  7. Cool until the ghee separates.
  8. Serve immediately!


Puneri Mastani

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup mango puree
  • 1/2 cup ice cubes
  • 3 cups curd
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 cup California walnut milk
  • 1/2 cup mango ice-cream
  • 4 tablespoons strawberry crush
  • 4 tablespoons fresh mango diced

Preparation:

  1. In a blender, churn together mango puree, California walnut milk, sugar, ice cubes, curd and mango ice-cream till it is smooth. Reserve till further use.
  2. Take a few tall glasses and add a tablespoon each of strawberry crush at the base.
  3. Top with the chilled smoothie.
  4. Finally top with fresh diced mangoes.
  5. Serve chilled.

How to make California walnut milk at home?
Soak a cup of untoasted walnuts for 2 hours in 2 cups of water. Strain and rinse walnuts well. Transfer to a blender with 1 cup cold water. Blend on high for a minute. Strain through a muslin cloth till you get an almost dry powdery mass in the muslin cloth after pressing the milk. Transfer in a glass jar and store in the refrigerator. This gives you 2 cups of home-pressed California walnut milk!


Falooda

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon sabja/tukmaria seeds
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 cup falooda sev, cooked or soaked (depending on the variety used)
  • 4 tablespoons rose syrup
  • 2 cups California walnut milk
  • 3 tablespoons California walnuts, chopped roughly
  • 2 tablespoons candied fruits
  • 1 cup ice cubes

Optional inclusions:

  • 1/2 cup strawberry jelly
  • 2 scoops vanilla ice cream

Preparation:

  1.  Soak the sabja seeds in 1/4 cup water till they swell up.
  2. In a glass, add rose syrup, followed by soaked sabja seeds and falooda sev.
  3. Top with ice cubes, California walnut milk, candied fruits and walnuts.
  4. Additionally, you may also top it up with jelly and ice cream.
  5. Serve chilled.


California Walnut Milk and Saffron Kulfi

Ingredients:

  • Large pinch of saffron threads
  • A few drop yellow food grade color
  • 1 cup khoya
  • 4 cups California walnut milk
  • 1 cup castor sugar

Toppings:

  • 1/4 cup California walnuts, chopped roughly
  • 2 tablespoons candied fruits

Preparation:

  1. Pour walnut milk into a heavy bottomed pan. Allow it to boil till it reduces to half its original quantity. Add khoya, sugar, saffron threads, yellow food color and chopped walnuts.
  2. Stir well. Keep aside.
  3. Pour the mixture into freezer proof candy moulds/trays or in an ice cream box.
  4. Place in the freezer overnight to firm.
  5. Quickly dip the base of each mould in hot water to loosen the kulfi and turn out onto serving plates.
  6. Garnish with some more California walnuts, candied fruits and saffron strands, if needed.


Paan Custard

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups California walnut milk
  • 2 tablespoons agar agar powder
  • A drop of rose extract
  • 5 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 betel leaves, crushed

Garnish:

  • Fresh pomegranate seeds
  • California walnuts, chopped roughly

Preparation:

  1. Heat California walnut milk in a pan.
  2. Stir in agar agar and boil for a minute till the granules disintegrate completely.
  3. Stir in betel leaves and rose extract along with sugar.
  4. Divide the mixture into small ramekins.
  5. Chill for an hour and then turnover.
  6. Serve topped with pomegranates and California walnuts.


California Walnuts Chilled Sol Kadhi

Ingredients:

  • 5 pieces dried kokum petals
  • 1 cup California walnut milk
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 green chilly

Preparation:

  1. Soak dried kokum in 1/4 cup of hot water for minutes.
  2. Run all the ingredients in a blender jar with some ice cubes.
  3. Strain and serve chilled.